2 thoughts on “Real estate, real issue

  1. Why are you looking at family homes anyway? 250K buys you some very decent homes – more than you and your signifother really need now.

    The whole idea about buying houses is, indeed, making a bankaccount that allows you to move up progressively. In addition, you just don’t have any decent income yet as an intern (or did you get an offer for full-time yet?). I could easily fund that 650/month for an apartment by myself, without counting my girl’s income or future income, and you know my work situation isn’t any different from what yours is going to be.

    Have patience and start small. Quite frankly, I don’t think any short-term solution is really required here. People should learn to strive to ideals and not expect them to be achieved instantly. I know that’s not what you want, but still.

    Oh, and to give some comparisons: my brother, who’s making just a tad more than I do, owns his own house (about 170k mortgage including a hefty sum that was reserved for redecorating and construction work) – an actual, decent, family house, 2 stories, and a somewhat decent garden (5 by 10 on a wild guess, although that’s shed included). Granted, as sole earner he’s stretching his budget, but it’s doable. It’s in Capelle by the way, in a halfway decent ‘volksbuurt’.

    My and my signifother decided against buying our house straight away because of the insecurity involved in both of us just starting our jobs, but once she’s settled we’ll definitively be on the lookout and I don’t think it’s unrealistic for us to aim for a nice house. So don’t give up hope yet 🙂

  2. The big issue here is, apart from my personal circumstances, that has become nearly impossible for starters to buy.
    They are forced to rent, or buy a small apartment. I think this lack of choice is the issue.

    In the region we are trying to get housing, 3-room apartments go for 140K+, and houses 160K+.
    Some go cheaper, 150K+ but they usually are not to my liking, or tend to need a lot of TLC. I would go as far as stating the newer house (built in 1985 or more recent) will do 190K+, without going too fancy.

    Luckily for me, Ordina has indicated several times already they intend to hire me after I finished my thesis.
    For the easy calculations, Kirsten and I assumed I would earn as much as she does. Our combined incomes would suffice to finance a medium prices home, up to 200K without placing too big of a burden on our balance.
    I know I’m privileged, but it only shows the problems others are facing. (including you yourself 😉 )

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.